The invention relates to a connecting device. A device of this type belonging to the prior art (DE 198 38 88 3.7), not yet published) includes two coupling halves that can be connected to each other, one of which is affixed to the wiper and the other is affixed to the support element of the wiper blade. The coupling halves, which are produced at a comparatively high manufacturing cost, are lost when the wiper strip connected to the support element and/or the wiper arm have to be replaced, for example due to wear.
In the connecting device according to the invention the coupling means on the part of the wiper arm are comprised of support bores disposed in the already existing side walls of the wiper arm. An especially embodied coupling element can be eliminated. The connection between the wiper arm and wiper blade is taken over by loose, reusable securing elements which on the one hand, can grasp the edge strips of reusable longitudinal strips that are pat of the likewise existing support element and on the other hand, are supported with their pivot pins in the support bores of the wiper arm. Consequently, a special coupling element on the part of the wiper blade can also be eliminated.
The formation of the side walls containing the support bores is achieved in a simple manner if the wiper arm has an approximately U-shaped cross section at least over a partial longitudinal section and the support bores are disposed in the U-arms of the wiper arm, which constitute the side walls.
A particularly easy-to-produce pivotal connection is achieved if each of the two securing elements has an essentially C-shaped cross section, whose C-arms enclose the edge strips of the longitudinal spring strips of the support element, and the pivot pins are disposed on the outsides of the respective C-base because this allows each securing element to be inserted with its pivot pin into the associated support bore and then, the edge strips of the longitudinal spring strips of the support element, which are disposed in the longitudinal receiving grooves of the wiper strip, can be inserted into the receiving space enclosed by the cross-sectional form of the securing elements.
In order to assure a proper positioning of the connecting pivot in relation to the support element or in relation to the wiper strip, the pivot pins are each disposed on the one end section of their respective securing element and a resilient tab, which is connected to this securing element at one end, is disposed in each C-base of the two securing elements, spaced apart from them, and protrudes with a detent catch into the channel-like receiving space provided between the C-arms for each spring strip, and each of these spring strips is provided with a detent recess associated with the respective detent catch.
In order to simplify the preassembly of the two securing elements on the wiper arm, the two securing elements are connected to each other by resilient means and are placed with resilient tension against the side walls that face each other.
If the wiper strip is to be provided with a wind-deflecting strip on the side of the support element oriented away from the window, a lateral recess in the wind-deflecting strip for the resilient means can be avoided because according to a further development of the concept of the invention, the resilient means are constituted by an essentially V-shaped band that crosses the wiper strip and the free ends of its V-arms are respectively connected to one of the two securing elements.
In order to further simplify the connecting device, the two securing elements and the resilient band are made of an elastic plastic and are connected to each other in one piece.
An absolutely operationally reliable connection between the wiper bladexe2x80x94which includes the wiper strip and the longitudinal strips of the support elementxe2x80x94and the wiper arm, which can withstand even the hardest wiper operation, is produced if in a modification of the invention, the wiper arm engages with its side walls fitting around the C-base of the two securing elements at their respectively remote outsides. As a result, the side walls of the wiper arm enclose the outsides of the resilient tabs of the securing elements which as a result can no longer be deflected and therefore are permanently fixed with their detent catches in their detent recesses in the spring strips of the support element.
So that in the vicinity of the securing elements, the support element spring strips are not stiffened by these securing elements, which would be disadvantageous with regard to the contact force distribution by means of the spring strips that are prestressed against the window, the distances between the two C-arms of the securing elements are greater than the thickness of the spring strip edge strips. Against the one inner wall of a C-arm of each securing element, there is at least one supporting catch that protrudes toward the other C-arm. As a result, a free space for the curved spring strips is produced, which permits the spring strips to freely oscillate in the channel-like receiving space. An impairment of the above-described characteristic curve progression of the spring strips during wiper operation, particularly against spherically curved windows, is prevented because their support in relation to the securing elements is not produced over a flat area but rather in a linear or punctiform fashion.
The connecting device according to another feature permits a particularly advantageous method for producing this pivotal connection with which in a first step, the securing elements are inserted with their pivot pins fro the side walls of the wiper arm that face one another into their support bores and then, the support element provided with the wiper strip is inserted with the edge strips of its longitudinal strips between the harms of the securing elements, and securing means are activated to affix the support element to the securing elements. The method according to the invention is distinguished by means of a sequence of simple, linear assembly motions so that it is particularly suitable for automation.